Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #525 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 9:05 ET - During the regular season an average game for the Blazers or the Pelicans sees about 42 free throw attempts. However, in the last 3 meetings between these teams, including the first two of this post-season, the teams have averaged a total of only 25 free throw attempts. This certainly has had an impact on each of those 3 meetings staying under the total and I look for it to change tonight. Down 0-2 in the series and having lost both games on their home floor, Portland needs to come out very aggressive and attack the basket. This leads to more trips to the free throw line. The fact is that the Blazers have averaged 98 field goal attempts in their last 3 games against the Pelicans so the pacing has certainly been there for an over. Tonight we'll finally see the pace correlate properly to a higher scoring game. New Orleans has shot the ball very well their last 7 games and that is why they've scored 111 points or more in 6 of those 7 games. Look for the Pelicans to stay hot here but the desperate Blazers will answer them bucket for bucket as this game goes on. The over is a long-term 81-42 in Pelicans home games and that includes 28-13 this season! More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in New Orleans

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #523 Thursday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - As of early game day morning, the Sixers are available at as low as a -120 on the money line. I would definitely recommending taking the 76ers on the money line if you have access to it. If not, lay the small number here. The fact is that Philly lost Game 2 because they had 11 more three point attempts than the Heat but made two less threes! It was an awful shooting night for Philadelphia from the outside and I don't expect that to be repeated. The extra time off has allowed the Sixers to build up extra motivation after a rare loss on their home floor Monday. When playing with 2 days off between games this season, the 76ers have gone 10-4 ATS. That record is also 26-13 ATS the last 3 seasons combined as Philly has excelled at the betting window in this situation in recent seasons under head coach Brett Brown. The Heat, after a win by a double digit margin this season, have gone just 5-11 SU and have only 2 ATS wins in those 16 games! Also, when tied in a playoff series in recent seasons Miami has gone just 1-4 ATS. The Heat are an ugly 4-10 ATS this season when playing with two days of rest between games. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #519 Wednesday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:05 ET - Paul George hit 8 of 11 three pointers in Game 1 for the Thunder. Many of those were contested. Sometimes guys go off in a game and that is what happened Sunday. Even with that ridiculous shooting performance by George in Game 1, Oklahoma City still only won the game by single digits. Look for this one to be either a Jazz upset or a loss by a single possession because Utah is going to shoot better than they did from three point land in Game 1. Odds favor that as well as the fact that George is certainly unlikely to again hit 73% of his threes. Coming into this series I felt the Jazz offer great value and I still feel that way despite the ATS loss in Game 1. Utah has allowed 99 points or less in 16 of their last 21 games. The Thunder have allowed an average of 109 points per game in their last 9 games. Despite the Sunday result, the Jazz are still 14-3 SU and 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. Also, Oklahoma City is still just 6-11 SU (and 3-14 ATS!) in games against divisional opponents this season. 10* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #517 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers couldn't throw it in the ocean on Sunday. Seriously they shot awfully bad including from three point land and that is what did them in. You know LeBron James and Company are going to bounce back after that dismal effort. However, the fact is that the Pacers are playing with a ton of confidence right now. They have an "us against the world" attitude as no one is giving them a real chance against the Cavs. Of course this has fueled a ton of motivation for Indiana and I expect them to have a big game on the offensive end tonight but they won't be able to stop the determined Cavaliers. While the spread on this game - currently an 8 - may prove to be just right, I do feel there is exceptional value with the over. Keep in mind that the Game 1 result was an aberration and the Pacers allowed 113 points per game in their last playoff series with the Cavs. Also, Cleveland allowed 110 points per game this season! Look for a shootout in this one. The Cavaliers are 7-2 to the over when trailing in a playoff series. Since the calendar hit 2018, Indiana has allowed 92 points or less in a road game 5 times. The 5th time was Game 1 of this series. The first 4 times it happened, the Pacers next game went over all 4 times. Look for that over streak to reach 5-0 tonight! 8* OVER the total in Cleveland

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Tuesday NBA 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - Certainly I won't hesitate to come right back with the Bucks for Game 2 of this series after a true brutally bad beat on Milwaukee in Game 1. Undoubtedly the Bucks were the right side in Game 1 as we all saw. The game only went to OT because of a miracle long 3-pointer for the Bucks with a tenth of a second left on the clock. Of course everyone with a Bucks ticket had at least 3.5, many had 4, and some even had 4.5 to the plus side with Milwaukee. The fact that the Bucks outscored the Celtics by a dozen points in the final 3 quarters of that game says a lot about the adjustments there were able to make. I also like the fact that they barely lost Game 1 despite 10 more fouls than Boston and despite the fact that the Celtics shot above their season averages from the free throw line and from beyond the arc. Boston also had the added benefit of nobody totaling more than 4 fouls. The Bucks had two starters foul out and another starter ended up with 5 fouls. Those things effect players mentally. Look for staying out of foul trouble in Game 2 to result in an even better effort from the Bucks and, keep in mind, they pushed the Celtics to the brink in Game 1. If Boston had Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving on the floor this would be a different story but, without Irving particularly (I know Hayward was lost immediately this season), the fact is that the Celtics were very fortunate to win Game 1. They won't be so fortunate tonight against the hungry and determined Bucks. 10* MILWAUKEE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards @7:05 ET - Raptors hitting 50.3% from the field in their last 4 games. Game 1 of this series went over the total (for most everyone) and Toronto got the win but they know they can ill afford another slow start. The Raptors were down 4 at the half of Game 1. The Wizards gained confidence from Saturday's performance despite the loss. Keep in mind, Washington had 59 points at half and 85 points through 3 quarters. After a putrid 4th quarter did them in, the Wizards will have even more resolve tonight and they've shot 48.4% from the field in their last 3 games versus the Raptors. The over is 27-16 when the Wizards are playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, Washington is 9-5 to the over in playoff games and the Wizards are 70-42 to the over in their last 112 games as an underdog. Toronto is on a 6-3 run to the over in their last 9 games. When playing with 2 days of rest between games, the Raptors are 5-1 their last 6 and that includes a perfect 3-0 in 2018 when on their home court in that situation. Fresh legs and both teams have reason to be plenty confident shooting the ball tonight based on those stats noted above. As a result, a high-scoring shootout likely to unfold north of the border. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - While both teams shot exceptionally well from 3-point land in Game 1, that certainly is unlikely to continue in Game 2. So lets take a closer look at the stats that do matter. The Sixers had 17 more field goal attempts in the game. Why? Because they won the rebounding battle by 10 caroms, had 5 more steals which helped lead to a turnover edge of 7, and had 10 more points in the paint. The point is that Philadelphia did the things that win playoff basketball games and I don't see any reason for that not to continue in Game 2. The 76ers had 5 guys score at least 17 points, the Heat only had one big scorer as Olynyk had 26 points. Keep in mind, it also certainly doesn't hurt that Philly has won 17 straight games. Their confidence is sky high and this is huge for a young team. Also, about that "young" team, 4 of the Sixers 7 players who logged the most minutes in Game 1 are 30 or older. That's right, the majority of the core playing rotation in that first game was comprised of guys who are at least 30 and the 76ers top two scorers in the game, Belinelli and Redick are 32 and 33, respectively. This team is a little more balanced with veteran leadership than what casual followers realize. That said, I'll gladly take the Sixers again at home in Game 2 as they are laying a small number despite the fact they are on their own court and going for 18 wins in a row. I'll take it! Lay the points with the red hot Sixers! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #513 Sunday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 6:35 ET - A line that had been as low as a -3 on the Thunder is now all the way up to as high as a 4.5 in some spots as of Sunday morning. I like the value with the underdog Jazz. Oklahoma City was only 16-26 ATS in the regular season in games against teams with a winning record. Utah finished up the regular season on a 13-7 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. The Thunder also were a horrific 2-14 ATS in games against divisional opponents this season. While Oklahoma City has the more prolific offensive production, I love defensive-minded dogs and certainly the Jazz are the better team on that end of the floor. Oftentimes good defense trumps offensive powerhouses and, that is especially true in crunch time like the playoffs or latter stages of the regular season. Sure enough, Utah is 14-2 SU (and 13-3 ATS) in their last 16 games against teams that average 106 or more points per game. The Jazz are 18-7 ATS in Sunday games including 6-1 ATS this season. Before a loss in their regular season finale, the Jazz were on a 17-3 SU run and the 3 losses were by 3, 4, and 5 points. Hence the value with the points in a game today where the road dog certainly has a great shot at the outright upset. The Thunder have covered just ONCE in their last SEVEN home games! 10* UTAH JAZZ

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Sunday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 1:05 ET - The very first numbers, the earliest, that popped up on this match-up had Boston as only a 2 point favorite. Now, as of about 4 hours before tipoff Sunday morning we're seeing lines up to 4.5 in some spots. I'll take the value with the underdog here. I know the Celtics are very well coached but there is only so much talent level from a team that can get put on the shelf and yet still perform at an ultra high level. Look at the Spurs yesterday, they've lost so much (particularly with Kawhi Leonard being out) but they are well coached with Gregg Popovich at the helm and they still got destroyed. The point is that talent is a key element in NBA match-ups and the Bucks are the much healthier team and certainly have plenty of talent. I am not saying they're going to prevail in this series but I am saying they have a great shot at an outright upset in Game 1 which means we're getting great value with the 4.5 points being offered here. Milwaukee went 11-4 SU after a loss by 10 points or more this season. They're also 3-0 SU and ATS after a game in which they allowed 130 or more points. The Bucks went 6-2 ATS on Sunday games in the regular season. Boston covered only 4 of their 11 Sunday games this season and, keep in mind, some teams do respond better to early starts like this. I like the dog here! 8* MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Portland Trail Blazers @ 10:35 ET - The Pelicans are rolling into the post-season with 5 straight wins both SU and ATS. New Orleans has averaged 121.2 points per game during this 5-game winning streak. The Pelicans also have been dialing up some defense as they've allowed 103 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games. The Trail Blazers have been at the other end of the spectrum with a 1-4 SU run their last 5 games. Portland is only 2-4 SU in their last 6 games versus the Pelicans and one of those 2 wins came by just 4 points. The Blazers also are just 5-10 SU in their last 15 playoff games. New Orleans is simply "feeling it" right now and playing with a ton of confidence and shooting the ball very well. There are only 4 teams in the NBA that had more road wins than the Pelicans (24) this season. Those are the Warriors, Rockets, Celtics, and Raptors. Needless to say that is pretty elite company and the point is that this team can travel and win and I like getting the points here in Game 1 as they ride their momentum right into this post-season match-up. 10* NEW ORLEANS

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #506 Saturday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers have won 16 straight games but we're getting a low line here due to the Joel Embiid injury. Yes the games between Philadelphia and Miami were tight ones this season and yes the Heat won the most recent game (March 8th in Florida). However, the Sixers are playing their best basketball of the season, are at home, and are now as low as a 6-point favorite in this one. That is offering huge line value and Philly has gone 9-4 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games while Miami has gone 4-9 ATS in this same situation. Also, though the Heat have a good ATS record on the road for the season, Miami has actually covered just 2 of their last 8 games away from home! The 76ers went 27-13 ATS at home this season and they get another big home win and cover here. You know the atmosphere in Philly will be electric. Flyers won last night over the hated Penguins (Philly big hockey fans too) AND the Eagles won the Super Bowl AND Villanova won the National Championship in hoops AND the Phillies have actually won 4 straight games! Now the rabid Philly fans get their first home playoff game in 6 years! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets @ 8:05 ET - The winner of this game goes to the post-season. The loser is out. As a result of those high stakes as well as Denver's ultra low scoring win over Portland Monday, there has been a dramatic over-reaction with this total. The very first O/U that popped up on this one was a 220. Now, as of Tuesday evening, the total is all the way down to a 213. This is offering incredible line value for the over. Keep in mind, the loser is out. There is no tomorrow for this season. That said, I look at this game from a different viewpoint. Late game big scoring pushes are going to be huge. There will be fouling for the team that is trailing. They will be jacking up threes. Even if still down 10 with a minute to go there is likely to still be fouling (hence free throws) and then corresponding quick threes jacked up. Again, because there is no tomorrow. With all that said, I like the fact that both of these teams are plenty capable of going on quick scoring runs and I expect this game to have plenty of dramatics throughout. The Nuggets are averaging 110 points per game this season and the Timberwolves are averaging 111.4 points per game at home this season. Both teams allow at least 107.3 points per game as their season average. The Nuggets have hit 37% of their threes this season. Minnesota hit 36% of their threes at home this season but also allowed 36.6% three-pointers! You can see why there are likely to be some big shots and big scoring runs in this one. The over is 26-14 this season in Denver's games versus teams with a winning record. The over is 16-7 in the Timberwolves last 23 games versus teams with a winning record. Sure there will be intensity in this game but guys will be knocking down threes too and also looking to get quick points in transition rather than let their opponent get set on defense first. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are wrapping up their season here and would love to finish up with a home win. However, Atlanta has the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Yes they are off of back to back wins but they are 0-3 ATS this season when off of back to back wins. Also, they now face a very "interested" opponent compared to the last two they faced. The Sixers would like to get the 3 seed in the East and they are in the drivers seat for that but they must keep winning. They need a win at Atlanta tonight and then home against the Bucks tomorrow night. In other words, they are very focused and on a mission and they also are encouraged by the fact that Joel Embiid very well could be back in time for the post-season. More good news for an already thriving franchise. Another key variable to this game, because depth is also important in late season games, is that the Sixers have two players in their rotation now that were dumped by the Hawks during this season. Don't be surprised if they come up with some big plays in this game tonight. The 76ers have won 14 straight and they've covered 10 of their last 12. The Sixers are also 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Atlanta is 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games versus opponents that averaged 106 or more points per game. The Hawks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games and their hot shooting the last two games is an aberration that won't continue and has provided some extra value here. Sixers in a road rout! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #708 Monday 10* NBA Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET - The Thunder still need to win to clinch a spot in the post-season. The Heat are already in. However, Miami doesn't want to go into the post-season playing bad basketball and they enter this game off of a 24 point loss at New York as a sizable road favorite! Note that Miami is 27-12 ATS (including 8-3 ATS this season) when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Their SU record in those 11 games this season is 10-1. As for the Thunder, they enter this game off of an upset win at Houston. Prior to upsetting the Rockets, Oklahoma City had lost 4 of their 5 prior games. Also, OKC is an ugly 2-6 SU (and 1-7 ATS) this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. With this line climbing all the way to a -4 on the Thunder (after opening up at a pick'em) I love the value here with the home dog. The Heat are not going to lay down at home in this one. They don't want to be playing poorly heading into the playoffs and they will respond after the abysmal performance at New York. 10* MIAMI HEAT

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 3:35 ET - The Pistons can still finish with a .500 mark this season if they win out and they're really not showing any signs of quitting on the season even though they've been eliminated from post-season contention. As for Grizzlies, the story is much different. Memphis has won only 3 games since late January! With that said, the odds of a Detroit win here are pretty high! As for the cover, note that only 5 of the Grizzlies last 25 losses have come by less than 6 points! The Pistons are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games and are a much healthier team than the Grizzlies whom are missing a number of players and now just trying to wrap up on a disastrous season and look forward to next season. Look for Pistons to improve to 20-10 their last 30 non-conference games while Memphis drops to 3-27 SU (and 9-21 ATS) their last 30 games against Eastern Conference foes. 10* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Dallas Mavericks @ 1:05 ET - If the Sixers weren't worried about too many defensive stops against the Cavaliers, they surely aren't worried about playing too much defense against the Mavericks! The fact is that this is a definite flat spot for the 76ers after the big win over Cleveland. That said, I am expecting the Mavericks to enjoy some success offensively. They have scored better in recent games and will take on a Philadelphia team still relishing their big win over the Cavs. As for the Mavs defense, they're not going to be able to stop a 76ers team that is playing so well and with such good flow that they've been on fire on the offensive end. Philly has won 13 straight games and they've scored 118 points or more in 11 of those 13 games. The over is 6-3 in Sixers games versus Southwest Division opponents this season. Dallas enters this game having gone over the total in 3 straight games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 3:35 ET - Mathematically the Clippers are still alive in the playoff race but a loss today finishes them off. The fact is that their most recent win versus the Spurs saw them play very poor early and they were lucky to eventually pull that one out. They then win and got demolished at Utah (and were never in it) in a must-win game versus the Jazz. Also, prior to the win versus San Antonio, the Clippers had lost 2 straight. They're just not playing very good basketball right now. As for the Nuggets, they are red hot and have won 4 straight games. Also, they're right in the thick of the race for a final playoff spot and there is a much different attitude among the Nuggets right now compared to the Clippers. Denver also is playing this game with double revenge as they've lost both games with the Clippers this season. Payback time here. Look for the Nuggets to improve to 8-4 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. Clippers drop to 8-16 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. 10* DENVER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers have won 12 games in a row. They also have covered 10 in a row. The Cavaliers are in a back to back situation and had to use a lot of energy to come up with the late win versus the Wizards last night. This game has become even more important because of the battle for the #3 seed. If the Sixers win out (3 more games after this) they get the #3 seed. The key with the #3 seed is that the 2nd round match-up (should that team advance) would face the winner of the #2/#7 series rather than a #4 seed facing the winner of the #1/#8 series. Why is that so important? Because the #1 seed is Toronto (whom everyone wants to avoid) while the #2 seed, Boston, is further weakened by the loss of Kyrie Irving for the season. Philadelphia has proven extremely tough to beat at home as they've won 20 of 21 games played on their home floor since the calendar turned to 2018. The big difference between these teams is the 76ers play much better defense than the Cavaliers. With Cleveland also having tired legs in the 2nd game of a back to back, look for Philly to prevail here. The Cavs are 8-14 ATS in road games with a posted total of 220 or more this season and also a long-term 11-18 ATS when playing with home loss revenge. Keep in mind, not only did the Sixers win on the Cavs floor recently, Philly was blasted by 22 at home by LeBron and Company much earlier this season. Time for payback here. The 76'ers are 25-7 ATS in games with a posted total of 220 or more. Look for the Sixers overall 10-0 ATS streak to make it 11 in a row with another win and cover here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Thursday 10* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:05 ET - This total opened up at a 213.5 and is now down to a 210.5 as of early gameday morning. Of course everyone is looking at the match-up last week between these two teams in Golden State and the fact that it totaled only 173 points. Folks, it is never that easy. The fact is that the result from last week is merely serving to give us exceptional line value here and I won't hesitate to step in. The Pacers were on a 3-1 run to the over before their game at Denver stayed just under the total Tuesday. Also, Indiana has shot at least 48.1% in each of their last 5 games and that includes the loss to the Nuggets. As for the Warriors, they are starting to heat up again and have averaged 111.8 points per game their last four games. They have shot at least 49.4% from the field in all 4 of those games. Golden State is off of an upset win at Oklahoma City and the Warriors are 5-2 to the over the last 7 times they were off of an outright win as an underdog. The fact that both of these teams have been trending under of late has greatly impacted market perception right now. The fact is they both come into this game shooting the ball very well and this is a late season non-conference match-up that should see plenty of offensive fireworks. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks gave a valiant effort last night at Miami and very nearly got the upset win that would have prevented their division rivals from clinching a playoff spot. That said, it may seem like after losing by just a single possession on the road last night that Atlanta would definitely be the play now as a sizable dog at home. However, the Hawks not only gave a huge effort last night, they did it short-handed. Atlanta is not going to have much left in the tank tonight after, for the most part, playing a 6-man rotation yesterday. The Hawks had 6 guys who each played at least 33 minutes. Miami made full utilization of 9 guys last night as all 9 who played logged at least 20 minutes. Atlanta is simply a wounded team right now and the Heat will take advantage tonight. Miami still is seeking to improve their playoff seeding as right now they could finish as high as 6th or as low as 8th so they certainly won't lay down tonight. Look for the Heat to take advantage of tired Hawks as Atlanta plays their 3rd game in 4 nights while Miami had two days off before yesterday's win. The Heat non-covering win last night was just their 5th ATS loss in 15 divisional games this season! The Hawks are 1-12 SU (and 2-11 ATS) when they enter a game on a steak of 3 or more consecutive unders. 10* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers and Pistons are two of the hottest teams in the league. However, both teams are also without key big men in the paint. This is going to allow both teams to attack the basket and, with the confidence of long winning streaks in tow, each team comes into this game with plenty of confidence on the offensive end. The 76ers have won 11 straight games and have averaged 116.8 points per game during this streak. The Pistons have won 5 straight games and 7 of their last 8 and they've averaged 109 points per game during this strong 8-game stretch. The point is that we could easily see this game reach the 226 range if these teams just play like the have been. With some missing pieces in the paint, I definitely expect this one to get into that range as the interior defense for each team has been weakened. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Situational Smash - Rickenbach NBA Game #719 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Nuggets vs Indiana Pacers @ 9:05 ET - The over is 22-6 in the Nuggets last 28 games yet this total drifted down some this morning. Of course that is because the Pacers have a much different reputation than that of the Nuggets. However, with Denver being at home I do expect they will control the tempo and they'll force the Pacers to keep pace! Additionally, Indiana has shot at least 48% from the field in 4 straight games but has struggled at times on the defensive end. The Pacers have allowed 47.7% or more from the field in 4 of their last 5 games. The over is 3-1 in Indiana's last 4 games. Also, the last 7 times that the Pacers have entered a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games, they over has gone 5-2. Look for more of the same here as Denver is 7-2 to the over this season against Central Division opponents. Also, the Nuggets are 25-11 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record this season! 10* OVER the total in Denver

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Tuesday 8* Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors were knocked out of the post-season by the Cavaliers last season. Toronto was able to get some revenge with a huge home win in their first meeting with the Cavs this season. However, in the next meeting they lost at Cleveland after blowing a 15 point halftime lead. Not only does that make today a revenge game for Toronto, it also is a key game as the Raptors work toward their goal of securing the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs. Toronto is 9-3 ATS this season as an underdog. Cleveland is 17-42 ATS as a favorite this season. I also like the fact that the Raptors enter this game off of a loss and they haven't lost back to back games since mid-January. The Cavaliers recent run looks very impressive but, keep in mind, they've played a lot of bad teams the past few weeks. Now it is payback time for this road dog! 8* TORONTO

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers vs Indiana Pacers @ 3:35 ET - When these teams met in Indiana a week ago, the Clippers shot 55% and yet they lost and the game stayed under the total. This is helping to give us solid line value with this total because the Pacers are off of another unique result too. Indiana is off of a win at Sacramento Thursday despite allowing 53.8% from the field. As you can see, the Pacers defense hasn't exactly been on point of late! The Clippers are on an under streak but there is a reason this total is as high as it is. It is more than just some "strange results" recently, it is also that the Clips are now back home where the over is 5-2 in their last 7 games as hosts. LA is still alive in the playoff race and the Pacers are still chasing the Cavaliers for the top spot in the Central Division. With that said there will be no let up from either team and a tight game late could also lead to some free throws and "scramble points" helping our cause. The Clippers have averaged 115.7 points per game in their last 7 home games. The Pacers have scored 106 points or more in 4 of their last 6 games and the Clippers are going to push the pace in this one as they seek revenge for last week's loss. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 1:05 ET - While it is true that the 76ers are without Joel Embiid, it is also true that this team is about much more than just Embiid. Philadelphia is not only a 9-game winning streak, they've also covered 7 straight games! That said, the Sixers at this low number (as low as 1.5 as of Saturday) are even an option on the money line (priced as low as -125) to simply win this game and make it 10 in a row. Charlotte is at home and has a respectable home record this season but what do they really have to play for here? That said, looking at Philadelphia's remaining schedule, they know a #3 seed is certainly possible as they could pass Cleveland in the standings. In the month of March, Charlotte went 1-5 ATS at home! The Hornets also in a tough back to back spot here as they were at Washington yesterday. That ugly defeat was Charlotte's 3rd straight overall ATS loss. The Hornets are 2-9 ATS in the 2nd game of a back to back their last 11 occurrences. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons @ 5:05 ET - The last time the Knicks were in action they combined with the Sixers to give me one of the worst "Bad Beats" I'll likely have this entire calendar year in any sport. The teams combined for 130 points at halftime and yet the game (a big play for me) did not go over the total. It was a horrific beat and, suffice to say, I had my eyes out for when I could get some payback involving New York. Now the Knicks host a Pistons team that, though not officially eliminated, knows that the odds of a playoff berth are basically somewhere between minuscule and nothing. In other words, this is a late season match-up of two non-playoff teams and that means defense goes out the window. Look for for a free-flowing offensive showcase. The Knicks are 7-3 to the over this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. Also, New York is 6-2 to the over in Saturday games. The Pistons are 7-2 to the over this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. 10* OVER the total in New York

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Friday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:05 ET - The Nuggets still fighting hard for a playoff spot. I know Denver enters off of back to back losses but they faced two of the hottest teams in the East - Philly and Toronto. Prior to those defeats the Nuggets had won back to back games and they enter this one on a 3-1 ATS run. Denver also has a rest edge here as they've been off since Tuesday while the Thunder are playing the 2nd game of a back to back as they will be coming into this one off of a game at San Antonio Thursday night. Oklahoma City is playing this game with revenge but they are 9-22 ATS this season when playing with revenge. Also, OKC is an ugly 2-13 ATS in divisional games this season. The Nuggets are 8-4 in divisional games this season. Combined edges of 43-15 (74%) favoring the road dog in this one. 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:35 ET - With the Bulls having shot so poorly in many recent games I know I am going against the grain here. However, that is all part of being a contrarian and this is an excellent situation. The Heat are off of a huge win versus Cleveland where they held the Cavs to just 79 points. That is certainly noteworthy as Miami is 12-5 to the over (including 4-1 this season) when off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. Also, as the Heat have been pushing hard to secure a playoff spot, they have been trending over. Prior to the low-scoring match-up with the Cavaliers, the over was 16-6 in Miami's 22 previous games. As for the Bulls, they were 5-1 to the over in their 6 games prior to getting obliterated by Houston and scoring only 86 points. As you would expect, Chicago struggles to stop quality teams and that has played a key role in the over going 25-13 in Bulls games versus teams with a winning record this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Miami

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks  @ 7:05 ET - Look for this to be a very entertaining game with a ton of points scored. The Knicks Trey Burke looks like and, at least for the last 4 games, plays like his idol Allen Iverson. That said, off of a 42 point performance (with 12 assists) at Charlotte Monday, look for another huge game from Burke here as he's certainly excited about playing in Philly. This is his first visit to the City of Brotherly Love since he took on an increased role with the Knicks after the All Star break. The Sixers are red hot again and have won 7 straight games. They certainly are excited about Markelle Fultz being back on the floor finally and he had 10 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds in just 14 minutes in the 76ers big win over Denver Monday. Philadelphia is averaging 118 points per game during their current 7-game winning streak and the way the Knicks have been scoring since the All-Star break (and coinciding with Burke's increased role) sets the stage for an easy over here. The Knicks have scored at least 104 in 11 of their last 16 games while the Sixers have allowed 105.4 in their last 5 home games. This one should get well into the 220s based on that as Philly opened up as a 14 point favorite and both of these teams are really feeling it right now in terms of execution on offense! The over is 3-0 this season in Knicks road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The over is 13-6 when the 76ers enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #762 Tuesday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are off of 3 straight losses and that is certainly worthy of note here as Washington has not lost 4 straight games this entire season! The Wizards are a long-term 9-3 SU (and 10-2 ATS) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Washington also is playing this game with quadruple revenge as they've lost 4 straight versus the Spurs. This includes a loss last week at San Antonio where the Wizards gave up a big 3rd quarter run. Washington is 17-10 ATS as an underdog this season and I expect them to get revenge here. The Spurs are 14-23 SU on the road this season and have lost 8 of their last 9 away from San Antonio. 10* WASHINGTON

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #733 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - Though it is not official yet, even though the Hornets have won 3 straight games, Charlotte is effectively eliminated from the post-season race and they know it. That said, I like to look at the over in late-season match-ups like this that are between two teams that are not going to the post-season. These types of late season ho-hum games tend to lead to plenty of offense and very little defense as there is certainly not a lot of incentive to get stops on the defensive end. That said, I like the fact that this total already has dropped from it's earliest number of 224 down to a 222 and I would not be surprised if it drops even further. With their upset win at Washington yesterday, New York has scored more than 100 in 7 of their last 9 games. The rarity about yesterday's win was that the Knicks didn't allow triple digits. In fact, NY entered that game having allowed 108 points or more in 15 of their last 18 games. Not much defense in those numbers! The over is 8-4 this season when New York is playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, when off of an outright upset win as an underdog, the Knicks are 10-5 to the over this season! The over is 5-0 in the Hornets last 5 home games and they've averaged scoring 118.7 points per game their last 10 at home! 10* OVER the total in Charlotte

Divisional Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #713 Sunday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - Portland is off of rare back to back losses at home. The Trail Blazers had been one of the hottest teams in the league and I look for them to bounce right back here. Portland is a PERFECT 5-0 SU their L5 games away from home. Overall, in their last 18 games, the Trail Blazers have lost ATS only 3 times! In their match-ups with the Thunder this season they are a PERFECT 3-0 SU and ATS. Oklahoma City enters this game quite hot also but if you look closely at what they've done, the Thunder just don't win against playoff level teams very often at all. A big part of the reason they've been on a hot streak is because of facing a weak schedule. Most all of their wins have come against teams that wouldn't be in the playoffs if the season ended today. In fact, the Thunder are just 4-8 SU their last 12 games against teams that are currently in a playoff position or just one game out (Denver). The point is that Oklahoma City has struggled when facing better teams and they're certainly facing one of those today. It is also noteworthy that the Thunder are just 9-21 ATS when playing with revenge this season and also an ugly 2-12 ATS in divisional games. Look for the Blazers to win outright for the 6th time in their last 6 road games and for the 4th time in their last 4 meetings with OKC. Grab the points but you shouldn't need them. 10* PORTLAND 

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat @ 5:05 ET - The over is 3-0 in the 3 meetings between these teams this season and that is even with the Pacers making only 1 of 18 from beyond the arc in the most recent meeting between these teams. Miami's game at Oklahoma City Friday stayed under the total but, prior to that, the Heat were on a 15-5 run to the over! I am well aware of the fact that Indiana is on a recent trend toward the under. However, their last 4 games have seen them allow an average of 49% from the field. In other words, don't be surprised when the Pacers recent trend of going under begins to reverse as there are already signs. I expect to get in on the front end of that cycle by grabbing the over in this one at it improves to 4-0 this season in meetings between these teams. 8* OVER the total Indiana

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons, though of course they wouldn't admit it, are coming to terms with the fact that they're not going to make the post-season. They're just too far back now. After a loss to the Rockets, Detroit has lost 11 of its last 15 games. I know the Pistons have some good recent stats on defense but I look for this to be a run and gun shootout on Saturday evening in Detroit. This is a match-up of two teams not going to the post-season and the Bulls quit playing defense a long time ago. Chicago has allowed 117.3 points per game their last 7 games. Detroit needs a breakout game on offense after a frustrating game at Houston. Of course facing the weak Bulls is going to allow the Pistons to enjoy a huge electric game on the offensive end. Chicago is off of a home loss to Milwaukee that went over the total and the over is 9-4 this season when the Bulls are off of a divisional game. The Bulls have averaged 107.7 points per game on offense their last 7 games and you can see why I am looking for a 120 to 108 type game here which, of course, equates to an early over. This will appear to be a bit of a contrarian play given the Pistons recent numbers on defense but you can see, per the above, why I am expecting an entirely different mindset for this one. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* Minnesota Timberwolves (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:05 ET - Many are looking at the Sixers here since this is a back to back spot for the Timberwolves. However, Philly has been playing quite a few weak teams leading into this match-up and I expect the 76ers to struggle with a solid Western Conference foe here. Keep in mind, Minnesota is playing this game with double revenge. They lost their last game at Philadelphia and also got upset at home by the Sixers earlier this season. The Timberwolves allowed some big runs versus the Knicks last night but they clearly were looking ahead to this game and they did hang on for the all important win. Keep in mind, the Wolves have games on deck with Memphis, Atlanta, and Dallas. In other words, out of the 5-game stretch that began at New York last night, Phlly was on the only quality team on the slate for Minny. As a result, bank on the Wolves bringing their "A game" tonight. The Timberwolves are 6-3 SU and ATS when playing with home loss revenge this season. A lot of points expected here and the 76ers are 6-14 SU in home games with a posted total of 220 or more. 8* MINNESOTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #859 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors and Nets just met early last week in Brooklyn and the game barely stayed under the total. In the Nets other 10 games dating back to their final game of February, the over is 7-3. As for the Raptors, they played very solid defense late in their win at Orlando Tuesday but they then suffered a tough beat at Cleveland Wednesday as they let that one get away from them late. Toronto may not have a lot of defensive intensity left after trying desperately to hang on in that revenge game at Cleveland (they just can't see to win there) and, keep in mind, this is the Raptors 6th game in 9 days! Toronto has allowed 52.7% or more from the field in 3 of their last 4 games. As for the Nets defense, they've allowed 110.4 points per game on the season. Brooklyn is 6-3 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. The Raptors are 6-3 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. This big total is absolutely justified and there won't be much D in this one! 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Early NBA TV Blowout - Rickenbach NBA Game #853 Friday 8* Denver Nuggets (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Nuggets are in a fight for a final playoff spot in the West. They also have revenge in this spot as they lost at home to the Wizards early this season. Denver has a poor season record on the road but they've actually won 5 of their last 9 road games and one of those losses was that tough recent multiple-OT loss at Miami. In other words, the Nuggets are a much better road team now than they were earlier this season. The Wizards have covered only 12 of their 35 home games this season. Also, Washington has lost 6 of their last 10 games overall and 4 of those 6 losses have come on their home floor. Look for the Nuggets to improve to 7-3 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. 8* DENVER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers are in a back to back spot here but they got up huge last night versus Memphis and were able to rest up for tonight's game at Orlando. Also, the Sixers first two back to backs this season have seen them win both and average 115 points per game. The Magic just don't have the offense to keep up here. Orlando has lost 7 of their last 8 games. The Magic were held to 88 points or less in 5 of those 7 defeats. To put that in proper perspective, Philly has been held to 88 points or less just once this entire season. In fact, the 76ers have scored 98 points or more in 12 straight games. That's why odds are high that another Philly victory by a double digit margin is on tap here. The Sixers have won both meetings with the Magic this season by double digits and the average margin of those games was 15 points. Another rout here. Orlando 4-10 SU and ATS versus Atlantic Division opponents this season. The 76ers are 10-4 SU and ATS versus Southeast Division opponents this season. Philly is 16-10 SU and 17-9 ATS this season when off of a non-conference game. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #761 Wednesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - Yesterday this line was as high as double digits but as of early this morning it has settled in at -9 in most spots. Of course the majority are looking at this game and find it hard to justify laying this big of a spread on the road but, trust me, the odds makers knew what they were doing setting this line this high. This one has road rout written all over it. Denver is fighting for their playoff lives but off of back to back losses and that is why they will take out their frustration on a Bulls team that has nothing to play for at this point in the season. Also, helping our cause here is the fact that Chicago is quite banged up right now. Denver is 4-1 SU and ATS their last 5 meetings with the Bulls but only won by a single point in their non-covering win over the Bulls at home earlier this season. Chicago shot unusually well in that game and that won't happen again here. The Bulls have been held 45.1% or less from the field in 6 of their last 8 games. After the epic multiple-overtime loss at Miami Monday, Denver is fired up about responding huge here at Chicago. The Nuggets are a long-term 20-10 ATS after a game in which they allowed 130 points or more. The Bulls have lost 10 of their last 14 games and the Nuggets are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 wins. In other words, odds favor a big win and cover for the road fave in this one. 10* DENVER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #757 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - When a team is giving up a lot of points but still winning the tendency is to still overlook the shortcomings of their defensive efforts. That said, look for Brooklyn to continue their recent trend of high-scoring games as they are off of back to back wins but have allowed an average of 117 points per game in their last 10 games (only 1 of those was an OT game). As for Charlotte, they have been playing at a faster pace than usual and that is why their opponents have averaged 97 field goal attempts per game their last 4 games! The over is 5-2 in the Hornets last 7 games and they've allowed 119.4 points per game in these contests - none of which went to OT. That said, and with Charlotte having now faded from the playoff picture, tonight's battle features two teams simply playing out the string on the season which means all offense and no defense will be a recurring them throughout this match-up. The over is 7-3 in Brooklyn's last 10 games. Also, the Nets are 14-9 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. In other words, don't let the big number on this one scare you. The over is 9-4 the last 13 times Charlotte has faced a team allowing 106 points or more per game and I expect that trend to continue here. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #651 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Who would play defense in this one and why? The Raptors certainly have bigger fish to fry and the Magic are just playing out the string on the season. Orlando is off of a very ugly game versus Boston Friday which is helping to give line value here as that one fell well short of the total. The fact is that, prior to that game, the Magic had allowed an average of 112.7 points per game in their 3 prior games. Also, in their 5 prior home games, Orlando had averaged 113 points per game. These teams just met 3 weeks ago and the total opened up at a 220. With this one opening up a half-dozen points short of that, I'll gladly step in. The Raptors have allowed 54.2% from the field in their last two games and defense is unlikely to be a priority here with a huge game at Cleveland on deck for tomorrow night. The over is 8-4 this season when Toronto is off of an upset loss as a favorite. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Orlando

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #611 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:35 ET - I successfully used the over in Brooklyn when the Nets hosted the Mavericks Saturday and this is a very similar situation. You have two non-conference foes matched up and both teams playoff aspirations are long gone. Simply put this is the perfect type of match-up that lacks in intensity and that almost always features loosely played defense and up-tempo offense throughout. The fact that both the Grizzlies and Nets are off of wins also helps in this regard as that further lessens the likelihood of any intense defense being played here. The over is 15-5 the last 20 times these teams have met in New York. Also, Brooklyn enters this game having gone 6-3 to the over in their last 9 games. They've allowed 117.2 points per game in those 9 contests. The Grizzlies, prior to a very rare win Saturday, had allowed 115.3 points per game in their 3 prior games. When Memphis enters a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home, the over has gone 19-8. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 1:05 ET - The Raptors and Thunder have gone over the total in each of their last 4 meetings. Overall, Toronto is 20-8 to the over in their last 28 games against Northwest Division opponents. Keep in mind, the Raptors aren't going to play as intense of defense against non-conference opponents as they would against a division rival. The same holds true for Oklahoma City and I look for the over to improve to 6-3 in Thunder games versus Atlantic Division rivals this season. The over is 5-2 in OKC's last 7 road games. Toronto is 20-2 SU in their last 22 games and their dynamic offense has led the way. The Raptors have averaged 115.5 points per game in those contests. They are a 6.5 point favorite here. If they just hit their recent average and the odds makers are right about the spread in this one, you're talking about a game hitting 225 points. That said, we have plenty of value here for a top play and that is what I am going with. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:35 ET - This is the ideal type of late season match-up and scheduling situation that I look for when it comes to finding what should be an easy over. Non-conference match-up, two teams eliminated from playoff contention already, and both teams in a back to back spot. The fact each of these teams were in action last night means tired legs on defense which means less effort trying to close out on shooters or make the switch on screens, etc. The fact that neither team has playoff pressure means plenty of free-flowing offense in this one. Both teams scored very well last night and I expect more of the same here. Brooklyn has gone over the total each of the last two times they've hosted the Mavericks and the Nets game at Dallas earlier this season also went over the total. There should be very little defense in this game! 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #804 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - Though this is a back to back spot for Philadelphia, there is no shortage of motivation here and clearly the 76ers are the better team of course. This is the first time that the Sixers are hosting the Nets since Brooklyn thoroughly embarrassed them in a 141-118 loss last April. Philly owes it to their home fans to get payback for that one here and, of course, the Sixers need every win they can get right now as they battle for playoff positioning. The line on this one opened up at 11.5 but is all the way down to an 8.5 as of early Friday morning. Of course that has added to the value here and the Sixers are 20-10 ATS at home this season and 8-3 ATS their last 11 games versus teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Brooklyn is 1-11 SU (and 4-8 ATS) in divisional games this season and the 76ers avenge last season's embarrassing home loss and, though this is a back to back spot, they still crush the Nets. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - The 76ers kicked me hard on Tuesday when their game versus the Pacers did not go over the total. The game was perfectly on pace with the 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, 3rd quarter...ALL 3...being perfect for an over. Then came a dreadful 4th quarter that burned badly. I wasn't the only one getting burned as the Sixers did too! That dreadful performance cost them an important W in the standings. As a result, I look for Philly to take out their frustration on a dreadful Knicks team and that means plenty of points here! New York is 9-2 to the over in their last 11 games versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. The fact is that the Knicks just aren't playing defense any more and the over was 7-2 in their 9 games prior to a rare under versus Dallas Tuesday. As for the Sixers, they've averaged 113 points per game in their last 5 road games and they will not take their foot off of the gas after what happened against the Pacers! 10* OVER the total in New York

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #523 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - Pacers games have recorded 7 straight unders but they have shot the ball very well in their last two games and averaged 105.5 points in those. Sixers games have recorded 6 unders in their last 8 games but they've shot better than 50% from the field in 4 of those 5 games. The point is that this total has already come down from an opener of 213.5 and it is understandable based on recent trending but the reality is both teams come into this game confident and shooting the ball very well. I'll happily step in and grab the resulting value. The over is a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times these teams have met in Philadelphia and I expect another one here as the 76ers have allowed 109.3 points per game their last 4 games. Also, I don't see the Pacers stopping the high-flying Sixers offense in Philly in this one either. The result should be a shootout. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Monday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Spurs have been left for dead by many but they are still battling for their playoff lives and received some encouraging news about the impending return of Kawhi Leonard. That said, even though Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge are out for this game, San Antonio is going to put up a fight at Houston. The Spurs knocked the Rockets out of the playoffs last year but, of course, this season is entirely different and the fact is that Houston has already gotten revenge (twice) on SA during this season. That has the Spurs actually as arguably the more motivated team here and they will put up a helluva fight. San Antonio certainly has been in a slump but only 2 of their last 17 losses have come by more than a dozen points. With the Rockets James Harden wanting to take care of his ailing knee, I see Houston being careful not to over-exert themselves in this back to back spot. After blasting the Mavericks at Dallas last night, that led to extra value here. 15 of the Rockets last 22 wins, prior to crushing the Mavs, had come by a dozen points or less. The Spurs are 8-4 ATS (and SU!) this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Rockets are a long-term 2-4 ATS (and SU!) when off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. 10* SAN ANTONIO

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #815 Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Revenge game for the Sixers as they lost their only other game with the Nets this season in Brooklyn back on January 31st. Philly was an 8 point favorite for that one but lost the game by 8. Now, even though this situation is a much better one for the 76ers and even though they have revenge, they are only favored by a half-dozen in the rematch. I won't hesitate to lay the points here. The Sixers are off of a rare loss while Brooklyn is off of a rare win. Philly is likely to bounce back as, dating all the way back to Christmas, they have only had a losing streak of more than 1 game twice. The 76ers are 9-2 ATS the last 11 times when off of a loss. As for Brooklyn, they have only managed back to back wins 4 times this entire season! The Nets have allowed 118.6 points per game their last 5 games. The 76ers have allowed 107.2 points per game their last 5 games. Of course this is a difference of 11.4 points and I do expect the Sixers to take this game by double digits. When, in the 2nd half of a season, Philly faces a team that is averaging 106 points or more per game on the season, the Sixers have gone an incredible 25-5 ATS. Also, when entering a game off of 3 or more road games, Philly has gone 8-2 ATS this season. When, in the 2nd half of a season, Brooklyn faces a team that is averaging 106 points or more per game on the season, the Nets have gone an awful 5-24 SU. That certainly holds significance here because when the 76ers win they cover - 32-3 ATS in their 35 SU wins this season! 8* PHILADELPHIA 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #813 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:35 ET - The over is 10-3 in Boston's last 13 games versus teams that are averaging 106 points or more per game. The over is 6-2 this season when the Celtics are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Pacers have stayed under the total in 6 straight games and Indiana's most recent game with Boston was also an easy under. However, their 4 prior meetings with the Celtics all went over the total. Look for Boston, the home team, to dictate the tempo here and 7 of their last 8 games have gone over the total. The Pacers have averaged 105.3 points per game in their last 7 road games. Red hot Boston has won 6 of their last 7 games. The Celtics have averaged 116.9 points per game in their last 8 games. They have allowed an average of 113.5 points per game their last 4 home games and we're getting good value here with the low total on this one. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons off of a tough OT loss versus Toronto on Wednesday and they have a long road trip on deck so they want to make sure and take care of business in this one. They don't play again until Tuesday after this one so Detroit won't hesitate to push the pace in this one and the Bulls sub-par defense is unlikely to present a challenge. Chicago has allowed 112 points per game their last 8. The Pistons have allowed 105 points or more in 11 of their last 13 games. Bulls are 4-1 to the over this season when off of 3 straight home games. 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #653 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers are available at +1 in some spots as of early gameday morning but the bottom line is that this game is roughly a pick'em so I am going to talk about some SU stats here. The fact is that the 76ers are playing this game with revenge for a loss in Miami that should never have happened and they know it. Though all the games had been close this season, Philly let that one get away and they know it never should have happened. Had they not blown the big lead Sixers would be 3-0 against the Heat this season. Close games or not, the 76ers have had the upper hand through most of the playing time between these two teams this season and it is not "old news" either as all of their meetings were in February. With that said, the Sixers are offering great line value here because their loss at Miami is one of only 3 losses they've had in their last 13 games. As for the Heat, their numbers have been nowhere close to that as they've won only 5 of their last 15 games! Sixers 9-3 SU and ATS versus Southeast Division teams this season. Miami is 1-9 SU last 10 versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. Combined stat of 18-4 SU favoring the 76ers here! I'll take it! 10* PHILADELPHIA

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #568 Wednesday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 8:05 ET - This is a very nice set up for the home dog to get the outright win which means certainly I love having the generous points being offered here. Toronto is in a back to back spot and off of a game they had no business covering last night. I know this all too well as I had Atlanta +13 last night. The Hawks were ahead OUTRIGHT at the end of each of the three quarters and then the fourth quarter so virtual insanity take place over the final 6+ minutes when Atlanta went from 3 down to losing by 16. In the books it looks like a blowout but of course it was anything but and is helping to give nice value here. When the Raptors are not in a back to back this season they have gone 41-13 SU. However, in the 2nd game of a B2B this season they are just 5-4 SU. You can see the huge variance there and the Pistons are seeking revenge for getting blown out by 29 at Toronto last week. Detroit is also hungry because they just ran into a buzzsaw in Cleveland when they faced the Cavaliers right after the Cavs had allowed 126 points in their prior game. Though the Pistons recent numbers don't look that great they have been on the road a lot. Now they're back home where they've won 7 of their last 10 games. Also, prior to the blowout defeat at Toronto, 3 of the 4 prior meetings between these teams had been decided by 5 or less points. Pistons payback here. 10* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Tuesday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors have won all 3 meetings with the Hawks this season. Toronto truly not even worried about this game as a result. That, of course, is when dogs can be at their most dangerous and Atlanta has been scrappy on the road the past two months. They only have a 5-4 ATS record to show for it but note that the Hawks loss by 23 at Indiana in their most recent away game was the only road loss by more than 11 points that Atlanta has suffered in their past 9 games. The scrappy Hawks are getting 13 in this spot and the disinterested Raptors have what they view as a much tougher game (Pistons) on deck for tomorrow. Toronto is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games but only 1 of the 5 was a win by more than 13 points. Also, this is an odd stat to put a lot of weight into but yet it has been consistent and supports this play: Raptors 11-21 ATS in Tuesday games including 2-6 ATS this season. Atlanta is 14-8 ATS on Tuesdays in recent seasons including perfect 3-0 ATS this season. Hawks are also 10-6 ATS playing with home loss revenge this season. 8* ATLANTA

Divisional Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers are banged up in the frontcourt and won't be able to prevent Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond and other Pistons from plenty of scoring in the paint. On the other end of the court Cleveland will exploit Detroit's perimeter defense. The Pistons have had one good game defensively (held Milwaukee to 87 points) in their last 6 games. In the other 5 games Detroit gave up hot shooting from the outside and allowed an average of 113.4 points per game. Overall, the Pistons have allowed 105 points or more in 9 of their last 11 games. Of course the Cavs issues on defense have been well-documented this season and they're allowing 110 points per game on the season. In their last 7 home games, Cleveland has allowed 119.3 points per game. The Cavaliers lost at Detroit in late January and the over is 19-9 this season when Cleveland is playing with revenge this season. Also, when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more, the Cavs are a long-term 33-16 to the over. The Pistons game at Miami stayed under the total by a bucket but, prior to that, the over was 4-1 in Detroit's last 5 road games and the lone under was by a half point. Look for another wild one between these two divisional foes as they go over for the 4th time in the last 5 meetings! 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #809 Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76ers Money Line (-) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are 9-2 SU their last 11 games. They also have revenge against the Bucks as they lost at Milwaukee in late January. Payback time here for the hotter team as one of the two losses the Sixers had in the past few weeks was also by just a single point when they gave up a late big shot at Miami. In other words, Philly could easily be 10-1 their last 11 entering this game and the Bucks are certainly at the other end of the spectrum. Not only is Milwaukee 0-4 SU their last 4, they also are 1-6 ATS their last 7 games! Also, while the Bucks already dispatched of the Sixers 5 weeks ago, they do have a divisional revenge game on deck at Indiana tomorrow. It was the Pacers who just beat the Bucks in Milwaukee Friday. In other words look for the hotter team to also be the more focused team tonight and the result should be a comfortable road win. This line is so low that the money line on the 76ers is in the -120 range as of early gameday morning so I would certainly grab that if you have access to it. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #802 Sunday 8* Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Phoenix Suns @ 3:35 ET - The Hawks were leading the Suns by 10 points with under 3 minutes to go in the game in Phoenix in early January. Atlanta ended up losing that game by a single point. Suffice to say it is time for some payback here! The Hawks are 17-6 ATS in non-conference games this season. Also, Atlanta is at least a respectable 4-4 SU in their last 8 home games plus they're on a 5-2 ATS run their last 7 games overall. The Suns are on a horrific 2-16 SU run their last 18 games. Also, many of those losses were blowout losses for Phoenix and they're certainly facing a motivated Hawks team here. The home team is 6-0 SU in the last 6 meetings between these teams and with the low number on this game any SU Hawks win is highly like to be also be an ATS Win. Lay it! 8* ATLANTA

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:35 ET - The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these teams. The Pistons are 4-1 to the over in their last 5 road games. Detroit has allowed 118.2 points per game in those 5 contests away from home and last night's result at Orlando was further evidence that the Pistons continue to leave their defense at home. Miami also comes into this game with concerns on the defensive end. The Heat have allowed over 100 points in 9 of their last 11 games. However, very quietly Miami's offense has continued to ramp up production as they've scored over 100 points in 9 of their last 10 games. The over is 8-2 in the last 10 games for the Heat. The over is 5-3 this season when Miami is off of an upset loss as a favorite. Also, the over is a long-term 15-9 when the Heat are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. In other words, look for them to answer the call with a bigger game on offense here and that should not be a problem against the porous road defense of the Pistons. Detroit is also 4-2 to the over this season when they are in the 2nd game of a back to back and that 2nd game is on the road. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Miami

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #504 Saturday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers have done so poorly ATS this season (particularly at home) that you know a turnaround is coming and we're also getting line value as a result. This line was around a half-dozen points but has already dropped to a 4.5 as of early gameday morning and this is offering great line value on a Cleveland team that will be hungry. After losing at home to the 76ers Thursday night, the Cavs need a bounce back game and they're catching Denver at the perfect time to take advantage. The Nuggets are off of a win at Memphis last night so Denver is in a back to back spot here. Also, speaking of ATS struggles, the Nuggets have failed to cover 4 in a row but this is not the spot to rectify the situation. Denver is 6-11 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 220 or more. Cleveland is 17-7 SU in home games with a posted total of 220 or more and 39-21 SU long-term when off of an upset loss as a favorite. With those solid SU stats and the fact that this line is down to a 4.5 I feel very comfortable about an ATS win here as the Cavs are fired up to get back on track! 10* CLEVELAND

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (-) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - Dallas lost at home to Chicago in early January despite 14 more field goal attempts. The difference in the game was 14 more free throw attempts for the Bulls which is surprising given that the free throw line disparity usually favors the home team. That said, revenge is on the minds of the Mavericks here and that win remains the only win that the Bulls have against a Southwest Division opponent this season. Chicago is 0-5 SU in their other 5 games against this division and the Bulls are 2-21 SU in their other 23 games against Western Conference opponents this season. Dallas, other than that early January loss, has gone 4-2 SU against Central Division opponents this season. The Mavs are also 10-4 ATS in their last 14 road games! The Bulls are on a horrible 2-12 ATS run overall and they've lost 13 of their last 15 SU. That is why I see great value here with this line right around a pick'em and I suggest playing the money line if you can't get the Mavericks at a pick'em or as a dog. It looks like the Mavs may stay the fave in this one but we'll see how the markets react here today. Either way, Dallas is the play and I expect a solid road win for the Mavericks! The Mavs have been playing much more competitive basketball than the Bulls of late and the revenge angle adds to the power of this situation. 10* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers are off of a huge win last night at Cleveland where they gave a taxing effort on defense to get past LeBron James and the Cavaliers. I look for the Hornets to now come into Philly and take advantage by pushing the pace against the road-weary Sixers. However, Philadelphia is still fully capable of putting up big points (particularly at home) so I see this game turning into a high-scoring shootout. The Hornets have averaged 114.2 points per game in their last 5 games as they've been shooting very well. The problem for Charlotte has been on the other end of the floor as they've allowed an average of 108.7 points per game their last 7 games. The Hornets have allowed the opposition to hit at least 48% from the floor in 11 of their last 14 games. The over is 9-4 in Charlotte's last 13 games. The over is 7-2 this season when the 76ers are off of an upset win as an underdog. The Hornets got blasted in their most recent game and Charlotte is 9-4 to the over this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are off a tough loss at Miami Tuesday and they know they had no business losing the game. The way the 4th quarter played out late was absolutely unacceptable and they'll come out with plenty of fire here at Cleveland. Keep in mind the Sixers are off of back to back losses but had previously won 7 straight games. The Cavaliers have a long winning streak (SU) against Philadelphia and the 76ers are tired of hearing about it. The Sixers now have the horses to compete with LeBron James and Company and the Cavs haven't exactly lit the world on fire in home games this season. In fact, the Cavaliers are 6-23 ATS in home games this season and 10-35 ATS as a favorite. Philly is 9-2 ATS in road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. Also, in the 2nd half of a season, when the 76ers face a team that scores an average of 106 points or more per game, the Sixers have gone 22-5 ATS their last 27. More of the same here and an outright upset would not surprise but if they lose I expect it to again be on a final shot and that means value with the points! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 8* Los Angeles Lakers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The Lakers have won 3 straight games and confidence is building as 4 of their last 5 wins have come by blowout margins of 19 points or more. Los Angeles is also on an 8-2 ATS run. The Heat come into this game off of a very fortunate last second win over Philadelphia Tuesday. Miami simply had no business winning that game and it those types of victories that often leave a team flat in their next game. Look for the Lakers to roll right into Miami and take advantage. Keep in mind, even with that win over the 76ers, the Heat are on a 3-8 SU run their last 11. Miami is on a 9-19 ATS run in home games! The Lakers are 10-2 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. 8* LOS ANGELES

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs are off of an upset win at Cleveland over LeBron James and the Cavaliers. That makes this the perfect spot to fade San Antonio as the Spurs had lost 4 straight and 6 of 7 prior to that win. Also, the Spurs are only 2-8 ATS in divisional games this season. Though they have revenge on their side here against the Pelicans, San Antonio is 5-11 SU when playing with revenge this season. New Orleans has won 2 of the last 3 meetings between these teams and the Pelicans enter this game on a 6-game winning streak! Look for the road dog to stay hot on Wednesday! 10* NEW ORLEANS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - The Hornets are off of another big win last night as they poured in 118 points. Charlotte has now won 5 straight games and what has been most impressive is their hot shooting. The Hornets have averaged 116.3 points per game their last 4 games and are showing no signs of slowing down. That should mesh well with the Celtics in terms of a good flow to this game in Boston Wednesday. The Celtics have gone over the total in 5 straight games. Boston has allowed an average of 111.6 points per game in those games but the fact that the Celtics have won 3 straight games means there is little focus on improving what has been some sub-par defensive play of late. Boston's strength of late has been offensive production which has led to a scoring average of 114.8 points per game for the Celtics in their last 4 games. Charlotte is 7-3 to the over in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. The Celtics are 7-2 to the over in their last 9 games against teams that allow an average of 106 points or more per game. 8* OVER the total in Boston

Early TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Tuesday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks are off of a tight home loss to New Orleans and that certainly holds significance here because Milwaukee hasn't lost back to back games in 5 weeks. The Bucks were on a 9-3 SU run prior to the loss to the Pelicans. Milwaukee is catching the Wizards at the right time to get right back on track. Washington is off of a big home win versus the 76ers but the Wizards had previously lost 3 of their 6 prior games. Washington is a long-term 40-63 SU when they are an underdog and this is a very small number to lay on the Bucks at home. Milwaukee is a long-term 65-33 SU when they are a favorite. The Bucks are 8-2 ATS this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they are also 10-4 SU and ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The icing on the cake for motivating the home team here is that the Wizards have won their last two visits here. Payback time. 10* MILWAUKEE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The 76ers are off of a loss but previously had won 7 straight games. The Heat are off of a win but previously had lost 8 of their last 9 games! The Sixers have won their first two meetings with the Heat this season but their last two trips to Miami (last season) saw them get blasted each time and lose by an average margin of 25 points per game. Philadelphia is playing this game with payback on their minds as they again want to prove they are a different team this season and certainly they have traveled much better this season. The 76ers are 7-2 SU against Southeast Division teams this season. The Hear are 3-6 SU (and 2-7 ATS) this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Look for Miami to have trouble keeping up with the high-scoring Sixers as the Heat are on an 0-7 SU run in games against teams that average 106 points or more per game this season. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month NBA Game #710 Monday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:35 ET - The Warriors are off of a huge win versus Oklahoma City so this one sets up perfectly. Yes, I know that the Knicks have an unimpressive record and in the midst of a 1-9 SU run but this chance to host star-studded Golden State only comes around once a year. New York will absolutely be "up" for this game while the Warriors are still relishing in the after-effects of having enjoyed a big win over Kevin Durant's former team. That's because Russell Westbrook and Company had become a bit of a nemesis for the Warriors in recent meetings so GS could absolutely be a little flat for this game. Plus this will be their first game after traveling all the way from coast to coast and they just faced the Thunder on Saturday. Golden State is known for a "ho-hum approach" to a game like this as they've gone just 1-7 ATS versus Atlantic Division teams this season and 7-19 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. Also, after a game in which they allowed 90 points or less this season, the Warriors have gone 1-3 ATS. The Knicks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game on the season. New York has gone 6-1 ATS against teams from the Pacific Division this season. The Knicks also are a perfect 4-0 ATS this season in games with posted total of 220 points or more. The Warriors likely find a way to gut out a win here but the "amped up" home dog keeps this one within a single digit margin. 10* NEW YORK

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #809 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are in a back to back spot here but they are so hot it doesn't matter. They led Orlando by about 20 in yesterday's game before the Magic closed the gap late. The Sixers hung on for the cover but truly coasted at the end and the final score doesn't do justice to the domination that Philly had in that game. They've won 7 straight and have covered 5 of those 7 games and I am happy to take a hot 76ers team plus get a few points here at Washington. The Wizards are off of a home loss but actually have lost 2 straight home games and now and their defense has allowed 49.5% in their two games since the All Star break. As for the Sixers, their D has allowed 45.5% or less in NINE straight games! Washington is 13-24 ATS as a favorite and the Wizards are also just 10-18 ATS at home this season. Philadelphia is 10-5 SU and ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin and also 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS against Southeast Division opponents this season. More of the same here! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 1:05 ET - The Pistons are off of a home loss to Boston on Sunday. Detroit is now on an 0-6 ATS streak but, keep in mind, the Pistons were on a 6-3 SU run prior to falling short to the Celtics. Also, Detroit has revenge on their mind here as they lost to the Hornets in mid-January. Prior to that defeat, the Pistons had won 3 straight over Charlotte and they are certainly catching them at the right time to exact revenge. The Hornets are off of a big divisional win at Washington and now have won 3 straight games. When Charlotte is on a SU winning streak of 3 or more wins, they've gone 9-16 SU and ATS. The Hornets are on a long-term 7-13 ATS run in Sunday games while the Pistons are on a 16-11 ATS run on Sundays and are 16-10 ATS this season as an underdog. 8* DETROIT

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 8* New York Knicks (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - The Celtics got the win by a dozen point last night at Detroit but look for that to leave the tank close to empty for tonight's game at New York. Keep in mind, these teams just enjoyed a long layoff so it is tough to come back and right away face short rest situations. As for the Knicks, they are rested here as they faced the Magic at Orlando on Thursday. New York will be ready to go here as they were embarrassed by a 30 point margin at Boston last month. Payback is on order here! The Knicks had won 2 of the 4 prior meetings and they're catching them at the right time to get another W here. When the Celtics are in the 2nd game of a back to back and are facing an Eastern Conference foe, they are 0-4 ATS their last 4. Look for the Knicks, with some extra confidence after winning their first game back from the break, to improve to 5-2 ATS in Saturday games this season. 8* NEW YORK

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Orlando Magic @ 5:05 ET - The Magic enjoyed red hot shooting in their first game after the break and they have a history of getting involved in high-scoring games with the Sixers as 7 of the last 9 match-ups have gone over the total. The 76ers defense has been sub-par in their last 2 games and both went over the total. It is unlikely that Philly will kick it up another notch here defensively as they have a tougher game (at Southeast division leader Washington) that is coming up tomorrow. That said, look for a rather loosely played and free-flowing affair in this one. The over is 9-2 in Orlando's Saturday games this season. The over is 6-1 this season in 76ers games against teams from the Southeast division. Those trends continue here. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Early Smash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #802 Friday 10* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - Both these teams were struggling prior to the All Star Break but what was very disconcerting about the Celtics performances was a lack of defense. Boston allowed 50% or more from the field in 3 of their 5 games prior to the break. The Pistons, on the other hand, held 4 of their final 6 opponents prior to the break to just 44% or less from the field. Detroit has also gone 9 straight games without allowing an opponent to hit better than 48.7% from the field. On the other end of the floor, the Celtics have been held under 100 points in 4 of their last 6 games. Conversely, the Pistons have won 6 of their last 9 games and have averaged 109.2 points per game during this stretch. Only 1 time in their last 11 games has Detroit been held below 103 points! Look for Boston to drop to 1-4 SU and ATS on the season when they are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. As for the Pistons, they are 16-9 ATS this season as an underdog and I also expect them to improve to 4-1 SU and ATS when they enter a game with 3 or more days of rest between games. The hungry home dog (revenge from home loss in most recent meeting - in December) gets their payback here. 10* DETROIT

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #553 Thursday 8* New York Knicks (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - This line is practically inviting you to take Orlando as the Magic are such a small home favorite in this match-up and the Knicks have lost 8 straight games. However, as usual, I am going contrarian here and I love New York in this match-up. Oftentimes the best thing that can happen for a team that is struggling is to have a break in the action and that is exactly what the Knicks just benefited from with the All Star break. New York is playing this game with home loss revenge and that is a situation that has seen the Knicks go 8-4 ATS this season. Also, home court has not meant much in recent meetings in his series as the road team is 4-1 SU and ATS in the last 5 meetings! Orlando has a penchant for playing down to the level of competition they face as the Magic have gone 5-14 SU (and 6-13 ATS) in games against teams with a losing record this season! More of the same in this one as I am forecasting Orlando to drop to 3-8 ATS as a favorite this season. Grab the points! 8* NEW YORK

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 10* Denver Nuggets (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks are 19-9 SU at home this season while the Nuggets are 8-19 SU on the road this season. Why then is Milwaukee such a small home favorite here? Precisely! As usual there is more than meets the eye at first glance here. The key in this match-up is that the Bucks defense has improved but in recent games but their offense has not impressed of late. As a result, simply put, Milwaukee won't be able to keep up with this high-powered Denver team in this one. The Bucks have averaged only 98 points per game in their last 7 games. By comparison, the Nuggets have averaged 115.1 points per game in their last 8 games. Yes, Milwaukee has the better defense in comparison with Denver but the Nuggets certainly aren't going to be "sleeping' on D with this being their final game before the All Star break. The Nuggets are on a 15-8 ATS run against Central Division opponents. The Bucks have covered just 10 of their 28 home games this season! 10* DENVER

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Wednesday 10* Miami Heat (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Heat are in a back to back spot here but have actually gone 4-1 ATS the last 5 times they've played the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, with last night's cover at Toronto, Miami is 5-1 ATS their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. Even though they've endured a bit of a slump recently, so many of their losses have been very tight. That is why the Heat getting significant points here is certainly a solid line value. Miami is only 12-10 SU their last 22 games but the average margin of those 10 defeats was 4.9 points. NONE of the 10 losses came by double digits. In other words, getting big points here is indeed a solid value. I know Philadelphia has been hot but this is the final game before the All-Star break for both of these teams and the Heat want it just as bad. In fact, having lost at Philly (by 6) less than two weeks ago strengthens their resolve here. The Sixers are having a great season but they are 0-3 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more unders. Also, the long-term numbers in that situation are 6-11 ATS and 2-15 SU! Also, when Philadelphia enters a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home, they are 2-4 ATS this season and 4-21 SU the last 3 seasons combined. This one has upset written all over it and certainly there is value with grabbing the points which is what I am recommending for a top play here. 10* MIAMI

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - These teams met early last month and the low-scoring battle resulted in a 5th straight under in this series. Also, the Raptors enter this game having played solid defense recently. Their most recent game went over the total but the 3 prior stayed under. However, I am going contrarian here because I am anticipating a very high-scoring match-up. The Heat, prior to a low-scoring win over the Bucks, had gone over the total in 3 straight games. That was part of a 4-game stretch where Miami allowed 108.5 points per game. Couple this sub-par stretch on the defensive end with the fact that the Raptors put up a ton of points at home and you have the recipe for a shootout here. The Heat offense will respond after shooting just 36.4% in their most recent game. Miami had previously averaged 105.7 points per game in their 3 prior games. The over is 11-5 (including 3-1 this season) when the Heat are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. As for Toronto, the over is 32-20 (including 13-8 this season) when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Also, the Raptors are 21-13 to the over (including 5-2 this season) when they are playing with home loss revenge. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

NBA TV Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Monday 10* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The Knicks have lost 6 straight games. I know the line seems steep here but is justified as the loss of Kristaps Porzingis is a huge one for New York. The game he got hurt was at home against Milwaukee and the Knicks have played 2 games since. In those 3 games the Knicks lost by an average margin of 15.7 points per game. Another blowout loss is likely here as the Sixers are at home and rolling. The 76ers have won 3 straight games and all of them were blowout wins. In fact, 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 wins have come by more than a dozen points. The average margin of victory in those 6 easy wins has been 16.7 points. The Sixers have allowed just 41% from the field in their last 6 games combined. The Knicks are allowing 109.1 points per game on the road this season and, without Kristaps Porzingis, New York is likely to struggle to be competitive in this one. The Knicks are 5-21 SU (and 7-19 ATS) in February games. The Sixers are 16-9 SU (and 17-8 ATS) in home games this season! This is a classic case of hot versus not and facing a hated division rival insures that the 76ers won't take their foot off of the gas in this one! 10* PHILADELPHIA 

Afternoon Annhilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #805 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Detroit Pistons @ 3:35 ET - The Pistons are off of a loss Friday versus the Clippers where their offense let them down, particularly in the 4th quarter. As a result, don't be surprised when you see that offensive production will be the emphasis for them in this match-up! Prior to that under Friday, the over was 6-1 in Detroit's 7 previous games as the Pistons had averaged 111.1 points per game in those 7 games. They should have no trouble putting up big points here as they take advantage of the sub-par defense of the Hawks in this one. That said, this one can be expected to be a shootout because Atlanta has averaged 106.8 points per game in their last 5 home games. The Hawks are off of a home loss to Cleveland but had gone 3-3 in their 6 prior games. The fact that Atlanta has been playing better on offense and getting some wins gives them some added confidence on the offensive end and the result is some big point totals. Other than allowing 82 points to Memphis (definitely an aberration), the Hawks have given up point totals averaging 116.6 points per game in their other 5 home games since January 23rd. The over is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings between these teams and, given the situation here, that trend should certainly continue here. Also, the over is 9-5 this season when the Hawks are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The over is 8-4 in Detroit's games against Southeast Division opponents this season. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Toronto Raptors (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 1:05 ET - The Raptors have won both meetings with the Hornets this season and both victories have come by double digits. A similar result is likely today as Charlotte comes into this one on a 3-game losing streak while Toronto is on a 4-game winning streak. The Hornets are an ugly 6-17 ATS this season as an underdog. Also, in games against Atlantic Division opponents, Charlotte is a long-term 13-27 ATS! The Hornets are playing this game with home loss revenge but have gone 3-9 ATS in that situation. The red hot Raptors are 5-2 SU and ATS in Sunday games and are very use to playing these early starts as they have a number of them each season on weekends. Also, Toronto is an incredible 20-5 SU (and 16-9 ATS) when facing a team with a losing record. The Raptors are battling for the top spot in the Atlantic Division as the Celtics are right there with them and this added motivation leads to the road team making it 5 in a row as they take advantage of a struggling foe. 8* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Saturday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 6:05 ET - While it may seem inviting to take the Pelicans and lay the short number after they got demolished last night at Philly, the fact is that New Orleans is 3-7 SU and ATS when off of a game where they were held to 85 points or less. Also, the Pelicans are 12-30 SU when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. When facing a team with a losing record this season, New Orleans is 1-5 SU its last 6. Brooklyn is a surprising 15-5 ATS when facing a team that averages 106 points or more this season. Also, the Nets have plenty of motivation here as they lost at New Orleans earlier this season and they also lost the last time they hosted Brooklyn. The Nets have lost 4 straight games but are 8-3 ATS when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. They have a significant rest edge here as well as the home court edge. Grab the generous points. 8* BROOKLYN

ESPN Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - Big revenge game for the Clippers here. Many will be looking at the revenge angle for Blake Griffin as the Pistons star gets a shot at the team that traded him away. However, the Clippers also appear to be fortified after the trade and they were the better team to begin with as well. That said, market perception has driven this line up from a 2.5 to as high as a 4 as of early gameday morning. This has led to fantastic line value for Los Angeles in this spot. The Clippers lost to the Pistons at home very early this season and the Clips also lost in their most recent visit to Detroit. That said, the Clippers have revenge on their minds here and are well rested and fully focused on making this a successful road trip. Coach Doc Rivers even said that it was a great time for the Clips to get away from home as they look to make a move up the standings and get away from any distractions at home. This is the first of seven straight road games for the Clippers. They've been off since Monday and they are not home again until the 28th. They know this road trip is critical. The Clippers come into this game having won 4 of their last 5 overall and they also have victories in 5 of their last 6 road games. They are 23-12 ATS when playing with home loss revenge and 8-3 ATS when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. The Pistons have won 5 straight games but are 7-14 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. Detroit is 11-17 ATS as a favorite this season. Take advantage of the line move and grab the points here with the revenge-minded road team. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

TNT Early Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Thursday 10* Boston Celtics (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - These teams have only met once this season and Washington got the win on Christmas Day at Boston. Of course the Wizards wanted that game badly as they were eliminated from the post-season by the Celtics in May. Now the revenge angle lies with Boston. With both teams entering this game off of losses that followed hot streaks, I am happy to be back the team with the extra motivation as well as with the much better defense. The Celtics are allowing just 43.2% from the field this season while the Wizards are allowing 45.7% from the field. Boston is also 10-2 ATS as an underdog this season and 12-2 ATS when playing with revenge (including 4-0 ATS with home loss revenge) this season. Washington is an ugly 3-6 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. The Wizards are also a poor 11-23 ATS this season when they are an underdog. Celtics roll on the road in this one. 10* BOSTON

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #704 Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - The Rockets are off of a big win last night at Brooklyn but, don't be fooled by the final score, it was quite a battle and took a lot out of Houston. Now they are in the 2nd game of a back to back and this is a situation that has seen them go only 1-5 ATS this season. The Rockets are 1-5 ATS when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. Going from Brooklyn to Miami makes the travel situation even tougher. The Heat are in the midst of a 4-game losing streak but they truly have been "right there" in those games. In fact, Miami's last 5 losses have come by an average margin of just 3 points per game. With that said, there is substantial line value here with the generous points being offered on the home dog. Keep in mind, the Heat have played just 4 of their last 15 games at home so all the time away from home definitely caught up with them. Now, off of a home game and with another home game on deck, look for Miami to come up with a big performance here. The Heat lost the first match-up between these teams this season but they had swept them last season. Also, Miami is 25-10 ATS and SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they got upset at home by Orlando on Monday. Within that long-term run, note that this season's stats are 6-1 ATS and 7-0 SU in that situation! In other words, look for the Heat to bounce back huge in this spot. 10* MIAMI

TNT Early Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #512 Tuesday 10* Philadelphia 76'ers (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The Wizards are off of a big win last night at Indiana as they took advantage of the Pacers being without their entire starting backcourt. Both Victor Oladipo (illness) and Darren Collison (knee) missed last night's game versus Washington while both guards did play in the Pacers win versus the 76ers Saturday. This is helping drive some value here as the markets may not fully pick up on this and the fact is that these teams just faced the same team but at entirely different strength levels. Additionally, in terms of the set up here, the Sixers are off of a loss plus playing with 2 days off between games while the Wizards are off of a win and playing in a back to back. The rest edge plus motivating factor plus home court factor all in favor of Philadelphia here. Washington is a long-term 39-69 SU (and 45-63 ATS) the last 108 times they've faced a team that is averaging 106 points or more per game. The 76ers are 4-1 SU and ATS when facing a team from the Southeast Division this season. Also, Philadelphia is 19-4 ATS when, in the 2nd half of a season, they are facing a team this is averaging 106 points or more per game on the season. Wizards are playing 5th game in 8 nights. Sixers playing just 3rd game in 6 nights. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Monday 10* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - Both of these teams are "feeling it" right now as the Pacers have won 4 of their last 5 and the Wizards have won 4 straight. Indiana has averaged 110.6 points per game in their last 7 games. Washington has averaged 116 points per game in their last 5 games. The Wizards are 63-37 to the over as an underdog. Also, in the 2nd half of a season, when facing a team that averages 106 points or more per game, Washington has gone 20-8 to the over. 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams has resulted in an over. Look for the Indiana over to go to 7-3 this season when facing a team from the Southeast Division as both teams have been red hot and confident in the offensive end. Both teams stayed under the total in their games on Saturday but the Wizards had been 8-3 to the over and the Pacers had been 5-1 to the over. Those streaks resume here. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #811 Sunday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (-) @ Phoenix Suns @ 3:05 ET - The Hornets lost their last visit to Phoenix so they won't overlook the Suns here. That is bad news for the home dog because Phoenix has lost 11 of its last 14 games and only 1 of their last 14 losses has come by less than 7 points. In other words, a Charlotte victory here is likely to equate to a Charlotte cover as well! The Hornets have won 4 of their last 6 road games and they are 8-3 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The past 2+ seasons combined Charlotte is 27-13 ATS in this situation. The Suns have lost 19 of their last 23 February games. Also, Phoenix is 15-47 SU in games against teams that are averaging 106 points or more per game. Considering those SU stats as well as the fact that 9 of the Hornets last 10 wins have come by 7 points or more, I'll gladly lay the number with the road fave in this one. Look for a road rout. 10* CHARLOTTE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Sunday 8* Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 12:05 ET - The Trail Blazers are off of an embarrassing loss at Toronto where they were crushed by 25 points. Prior to that game, Portland was 7-1 SU and 6-1-1 ATS in their previous 8 games. Look for the Blazers to bounce back as they are 4-0 SU the last 4 times they've lost a game by a double digit margin. Boston has been winning but the first two games of this homestand were against sub-par opponents. The Celtics are going to be challenged here which is why this line is set the way it is. Don't fall into a trap here. Boston at home to just win the game will entice the markets but the Celtics are 17-27 ATS when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more and I expect them to fall flat here as they absence of Kyrie Irving certainly hurts as well. Also, the road team won both meetings last season and the Trail Blazers make it 5 in a row SU when off of a loss by double digits. 8* PORTLAND

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Miami Heat (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons will be a popular choice here since they are at home and they were off yesterday while the Heat are in the 2nd game of a back to back. Also adding to the appeal of Detroit here is the fact that they now have Blake Griffin and they won their first game with him in the lineup. However, in that win over Memphis, the Grizzlies actually attempted 20 more field goals than the Pistons. In other words, Detroit was quite fortunate to escape with the two point win. The Pistons had lost 8 straight games before the back to back wins and they now face a Miami team that is very hungry off of back to back losses. Only one time this entire season have the Heat lost 3 straight games SU. Also, they have an ATS mark of 5-0 this season when they enter a game off of exactly 2 straight SU losses. The Pistons are on a 2-8 ATS run and they've allowed 111.3 points per game in their last 7 games. By comparison, the Heat have allowed just 92.4 points per game in their last 5 games. Miami is on a 15-8 ATS run in February games and the Heat are 24-16 ATS when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Look for the Pistons to drop to 4-8 ATS this season when facing an opponent from the Southeast Division. 10* MIAMI

ESPN Smash Pass Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #810 Friday 10* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are happy to be back home after a 4-game road trip that ended with 3 straight losses. The Sixers have won 5 straight home games and all five victories have come by a margin of 6 points or more. Philadelphia is also 19-10 ATS including 6-2 ATS this season when they enter game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. JJ Redick did return for the 76ers Wednesday and he scored 20 points in the loss at Brooklyn. He had missed 7 straight games so the Sixers are certainly happy to have him back on the floor. Jerryd Bayless is also back for Philly and he had made missed 6 straight games. Bayless is averaging 25 minutes per game this season so he and Redick being back certainly strengthens the 76ers. The home team has won each of the last 4 meetings between these teams and all 4 of those wins came by at least 7 points. The Heat come into this one having lost 5 of their last 9 games. Miami will struggle to keep up here as they are 6-12 SU this season in games against teams that average scoring 106 points or more per game. The Heat come into this one having averaged only 91.4 points per game their last 5 games. The Sixers are averaging 109.9 points in home games this season. Also, though the 76ers full season numbers on defense do not impress, they Heat are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Again, the high-scoring games just don't suit Miami and Philly takes advantage! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards game versus the Thunder Tuesday stayed under the total due to rare sub-par shooting from both teams as Washington and Oklahoma City were each held under 38.3% from the field in that one. The over was 7-2 in the Wizards 9 prior games and now they host a Raptors team whose most recent road game went under the total but that entered that game with a perfect 6-0 over mark in their last 6 road games. When the Raptors, past the mid-way point in a season, are facing a team that averages 106 points or more per game, the over is 27-16 and that includes 3-1 this season! The Wizards, in the same situation, the past 3 seasons combined, have gone 19-8 to the over! Also, the over is 23-13 when Washington is off of an upset win as an underdog. The Wizards are an underdog again here and I look for the over to improve to 63-37 the last 100 times that they've been an underdog. Two high-scoring teams, both coming off of an under, it sets up well for value on the over in this one! 8* OVER the total in Washington

ESPN Early Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Wednesday 10* OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks @ 8:05 ET - The Knicks most recent road game stayed under the total but that broke a streak of 9 straight New York games going over the total. Certainly the pace was there for another over as the Knicks allowed Phoenix 94 field goal attempts. The problem for the Suns was they had one of their worst shooting nights of the season and the game easily stayed under the total. New York did score 107 points in that game and, with scoring 111 points in last night's home win versus Brooklyn, that was the 10th time in their last 11 games that they've scored at least 107 points. As for Boston, 3 of their last 4 games have gone over the total. The Celtics have allowed 102 points or more in 7 of their last 8 games. Boston has scored an average of 109 points per game their last 4 games. The Celtics are 3-1 to the over this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. With both teams happy to be back on the east coast after lengthy west coast road trips, look for a free-flowing high-scoring match-up here. The over is 7-1 the last 8 times the Knicks are in the 2nd night of a back to back situation. 10* OVER the total in Boston

TNT Early Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Tuesday 10* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - The Pistons just made the big trade for Blake Griffin and even though he won't be playing tonight it is already going to do wonders for Detroit in terms of their mental state here. Also, even though the final score from Sunday's match-up looks ugly (17 point loss), the Pistons were tied with the Cavaliers with only 7.5 minutes to go and that game was at Cleveland. With that said, and with the revitalized feelings after the trade, I expect a full 48-minute effort from Detroit here. Also, keep in mind, the Pistons had faced the Thunder the night before when they then faced the division rival Cavs on Sunday. This scheduling situation is a much better one for Detroit back at home. The Pistons are 15-9 ATS as an underdog this season. The Cavaliers are only 8-29 ATS as a favorite this season. Also, Cleveland is only 1-6 ATS this season when they won their prior game by a double digit margin. Long-term the Cavs are 34-66 ATS when facing a team with a losing record and that includes an ugly 4-18 ATS this season. 10* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - John Wall expected to miss again but he also missed the game at Atlanta Saturday and the Wizards exploded for 129 points in their win over the Hawks. There is still plenty of offense on this Washington team even with Wall sidelined. The Wizards enter this game having gone 13-4 to the over their last 17 games. Washington has scored 109 points or more in 6 of their last 8 games. The red hot Thunder have won 8 straight games and they've averaged scoring 122.5 points per game in their last 6 victories. The over is a perfect 5-0 in Oklahoma City's last 5 games. The over is also a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times the Wizards have been an underdog. I'll gladly test this double perfect situation here. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #710 Monday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Miami Heat @ 8:35 ET - The Mavericks have lost 3 straight but are in a good spot for a big home win. Couple that with the fact that the markets are backing the Heat early - line moved from a pick'em to a -2 on Miami - and you have a good set up for backing Dallas in this one. The Mavericks are hitting the road after this game (next home game not until February 10th) so they definitely will go "all out" tonight. As for the Heat, they're in the opposite type of situation because their focus is unlikely to be on this game. Miami is off of a divisional win over Charlotte and they have a big game on deck against LeBron James and Company in Cleveland on Wednesday. The Heat had lost 4 of 6 before Saturday's home win versus Charlotte. Also, Miami is only 8-14 ATS as a favorite this season. The Mavericks are 21-10 ATS when they enter a game having stayed under the total in each of their 3 prior games. That's because solid defense generally does lead to wins and the Mavs have held their last 4 opponents to 41.3% from the field. Also, the Mavericks are 20-11 ATS against teams with a winning record this season and they're sure to be at their best again tonight given the situation. 10* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 8* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets had an awful shooting performance in their loss at Indiana. However, the last 3 times that Charlotte has been held to less than 40% from the field, they've responded by averaging 120 points per game in their next game. As for the Pacers, they come into this game enjoying red-hot shooting as they've averaged 113 points per game on 52.3% from the field in their last 3 games. However, the Indiana defense has allowed 54.5% or more from the field in each of their last 2 games. The over is 3-0 in the Pacers last 3 games. The Hornets are off of the aforementioned under but the over was 5-1 in Charlotte's 6 prior games. Also, the Hornets are 29-17 to the over against Central Division opponents including 7-3 to the over this season. The Pacers are 5-2 to the over against Southeast Division opponents this season. 8* OVER the total in Indiana

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #811 Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 6:05 ET - The Thunder are off of a huge win yesterday at Detroit. However, not only is this a back to back spot for Oklahoma City, they're also playing their 3rd game in 4 days. Philadelphia is the much more rested team as they haven't played a back to back game yet this month. In fact today's game is the first game of their first back to back since the calendar hit 2018 as the 76ers do visit Milwaukee tomorrow. The Sixers are 9-3 SU and ATS in their last 12 games and they've been playing great defense. Philadelphia has held 12 of their last 15 opponents to 42.3% or less from the field. The Thunder, on the other hand, have allowed 46.4% or more in five straight games. Also, OKC is only 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games and only 15-27 ATS as a favorite this season. Philly is 7-3 ATS after a win by a double digit margin. The 76ers are also on a long-term 55-27 ATS run in non-conference action. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 6:05 ET - After a lackluster effort versus a Western Conference foe resulted in a home loss to begin their 3-game homestand, the Raptors won't make the same mistake here. Toronto likes to run and play at a fast pace but they had bad energy from the start in their loss to Utah Friday and will make up for that here versus the Lakers. The reason the play is the total and not the side is because the Raptors are a double digit fave here and Los Angeles comes into this game hot and putting up a lot of points. With the Lakers having won 4 straight and 8 of their last 10, look for a shootout here. Los Angeles is averaging 107.7 points per game during this 10 game run. The Raptors were held to 93 points in their home loss to Utah. That is noteworthy here because the over is a perfect 5-0 this season when Toronto is off of a game where they were held to 95 points or less! The Raptors are averaging 112 points per game at home and the Lakers allow 112 points per game on the road. With Toronto also fired up off of that loss you can expect about 120 here which should have the Lakers hitting about 110 per the spread on this one. In other words, it should fly over the total. The over is 6-1 this season in Lakers Sunday games. The over improves to 6-0 ATS this season when the Raptors are off of a game in which they were held under 96 points of offense! 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Rickenbach NBA Game #511 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Brooklyn Nets @ 9:05 ET - The Timberwolves have allowed 114 points per game their last 8 games and their last 3 opponents have all knocked down 53.9% or better from the field. Minnesota has averaged 117 points per game in their last 4 games and also will give a huge effort at home so I expect plenty of points here. The Wolves only home game between January 20th and February 1st is this one so look for Minny to "run and gun" just like they've done in the past versus the Nets. Each of their last two home games versus Brooklyn have flown over the total and they scored 129 points the last time they hosted Brooklyn. The Nets have averaged 109 points per game in their last 3 match-ups with Minnesota and, also, Brooklyn is 20-8 to the over in their games against Northwest Division opponents. The Nets were averaging 109 points per game in their last 7 road games before a rare poor shooting effort at Milwaukee last night. I fully expect Brooklyn will return to their high-scoring ways tonight. The over is 36-22 when the Nets face a team that allows an average of 106 points or more per game. Minnesota is 4-0 to the over in their last 4 games and they are a long-term 25-12 to the over when on an over streak of 3 or more games. Also, the Timberwolves are 5-1 to the over this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - Even though this is a divisional match-up, the meetings between these two teams have trended over in recent seasons and, long-term when they meeting in Miami as well. The last 5 overall meetings between these teams are 4-1 to the over. Long-term, when meeting in Miami, the over is 21-10. The Heat are off of a low-scoring upset loss as a favorite. That holds significance here as the Heat are 4-2 to the over when off of an upset loss as a fave and also 6-3 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. Charlotte comes into this game off of scoring 121 points in a win versus Atlanta last night. The over is 36-22 when the Hornets are off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, Charlotte is 6-3 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Overall, the Hornets are 5-1 to the over in their last 6 games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Miami